The state chronicle., 1887-11-10

the order, will make your statements
worthy of consideration by all thinking
men.
The CHRONICLE has been and is a strong
and faithful friend to your order, and has
in every way in It's power to
lend what influence it possesses to all plans
that have for their object the betterment
and elevation of the men who learn their
bread in the sweat of their face.
An early answer will oblge me, and
will. | think, prove useful to the order of
which YOU have the honor to be a leading
exponent.
| am, with best wishes,
Very truly yours
JOSEPHUS DANIELS.
Replying to the above Mr.. King writes
the following letter:
GREENSBORO, n. c., Nov. Z, 1887.
In reply to your letter of enquiry as to
the purposes, plans and legislation deslr-
ed bv the Knights of Labor" | will en-
deavor to answer as concisely as possible
Being secret order its purposes and
plans can only be outlined by its published
Declaration of Principles, which appear
from week to week in nearly every labor
paper. Anyone who will read carefully
this declaration, or who will examine the
constitution of our order, can at once form
a good idea of its purposes and its plans.
However, at your request, lunhesitatlngly
submit the following for your consldera-
ton. all of which are but echoes from our
Declaration Of Principles and give no un-
certain sound:
OF Congress. the labor movement asks,
FIRST, the establishment of a Labor Bu
reau believing it to be quite as important
te the we'll being of the people as the Navy
or War Department
SECOND, postal telegraph is needed.
/ The Western Union is capitalized at ninety
I millions of dollars, on which the people
must pay the interest and dividends. while
! the same system could be duplicated for
one-third the amount.
1t would do no harm for the general
/ government to control all railroads and
make more equitable distribution OF
taxes; but workmen know that reforms
should not be made too hastily and hope
for many good things TO come III due time.
AS regards State legislation, the Knights
of Labor asks a law to prohibit children
under fifteen years of age from working
III shops, factories and mines, and that
! suitable plans be perfected for their edu-
cation in public schools.
An enactment is needed to compel cor
porations TO pay their employees weekly in
lawful money and not in scrip, to be dealt
out al the company store for articles That
can be bought elsewhere for less money.
Ten hours should be a lawful days work,
for wOrkmen require some time for recre-
alton and mental Improvement.
Where women are employed, and do the
same work, they should receive the same
pay as meu.
Stringent measures should be adopted
for the health and safety of those engaged
in all industries where the work is hazard
Gus.
We believe the grievances of the work
ing people should receive the same atten
ton of our public servants as the grievan-
ces Of more wealthy corporations
The abolition of the contract system
where cOnvictS compete with other labor
is demanded. A law providing for arb
tration and the abrogation of all laws that
do not bear equally upon capital and la
bOr. We want mOnopOlleS to take thell
grip off the legislative bodies and off the
resources of nature. We want laws en-
acted that will make it a misdemeauOr fo
an employer to require anyone to subscribe
or sign any form of agreement that take
away their liberty as an American citlzeI
before they will employ them. We wan
the government to organize, in connection
with the post-office, financial exchanges
safe deposits and facilities for the saving
of the people in small sums In a word
r the Knights of Labor ask for JUSTICE. No
, a semblance of law that can be warped
and twisted to suit the convenience O
, moneyed monopolists, but the strong arm
of a paternal and righteous government
that will guarantee to it's citizens all tn
rights and privileges to which they ar
entitled.
What does labor want? Well, | hay
< stated many of the leading points and nov
D following the example of an old gentleman
at a certain cotton mill in North Carolina
: when petition was being circulated t
ask the managers to shorten the time the
were required to labor for days work t
eleven hours per day, the old gentlema
remarked: ''Let US go slow bOys-ask fo
! twelve hours now, and if it is granted
:, then we will ask again" We want goo
1 many things, and America wants a goo
t many things before it will be actual
e FREE, but the foregoing is enough to con
, slider just now.
That reform is needed and needed badly
none will deny, but why is it that the eA
listing great parties Democrat and Reput
lican) has SO far failed to satisfy the want
of the workmen, whom every honest pei
son admits is the bone and sinew of ever
country and nation? Why is there s
s much unrest and dissatisfaction anon
o the masses of thinking voters in Mort
o Carolina today What has made it nee
: essary that the general topic of discussio
It among workmen in North Carolina to day
o is the formation of new Independent DC
4 litical party? What has made it necessar
S for the laboring people to band themselve
:. together and ask of and pray our publ
I servants to give US such laws as we neeG
S Surely the cause of all this finds it's or
j. gin within the action of those parties tha
S have been at the helm of our governmen
!. and failed to discharge their whole dut
!, in behalf of the millions of workmen VIII
: cast their vote for them on the day of elet
o ton. But, know and you know and S
: does every intelligent person know tha
g the old 'pledge game" has ended, th
politician with soft words must be regula,